The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-05-25
A Glrl's Work,

several years ago young girl took
class of boys in certain Sunday
school. She was very young. had
never taught, and therefore shrank
from the work but with that instinct
i've sagacity which boys often show,
they chose her, and persisted in their
choice; and so, very doubtfully, she
began her work. There were ten boys
IN the class, and they lived in a town
OF four or five thousand inhabitants, q
town which boasts of forty drinking
saloons! They were not the good sort
OF boys-not at all; but they had a
sort of cordial liking for their teacher,
and strong class spirit was soon de.
veloped, of which our slender. girl did
not fail to take advantage. She en-
couraged them to stand together, and
she stood among them. They learned
to tell her everything, and she was the
hearty sympathetic adviser and per-
sonal friend of each.
Wise little woman! She was layine
the foundation deep and strong, for
well she knew that by and by the
floods would rise and the winds would
blow and beat upon these precious hui
man houses entrusted to her care.
And so she dug deep into the solid
confidence and affection of her boys.
The trial days did not delay to come.
The boys were growing tall and man
ly. They were learning to smoke and
to taste beer, and what was more nat.
ural than that they should find them
selves too large to 60 to Sunday y-school.
II had dreadful time with those
boys for four years." said the teacher
er, "but could not and would not let
them CO."
"But how could you retain them?
Boys at that age are pretty strong."
"Well, followed them. As soon as
a boy y'absented himself from Sunday
school I went after him. had their
confidence, and they would tell me
even when they did pretty bad things.
which, of course, was a great help.
They were wide awake, active boys,
and wanted to try about every new
thing and they did it; but I tried to
keep along with them. At one time
they formed themselves into q club,
rented room, and grew old very fast.
I used to tremble in those days, and I
had reason to. But did not give up"
1T must have taken good deal Of
time to follow them up."
"Well, yes, it did. There have been
weeks in succession when I was out
every evening looking for my boys,
but I thought it would pay"
"And has it?" asked the curious lis-
tener. ... .s
II think so. Six of the ten remain,
and I have no more difficulty in keep
ing them in Sabbath-school. The
others have moved away, but I hear
from them. All but two are Chris
tians, and these two are steady and
seem to be we'll established in princi-
ple.'"
"But they are men now. Do you
still teach them ?" ....
"Yes; I cannot induce them to go
into Bible class. though I have often
tried to do so. They seem to dislike
the thought of change"
And little wonder.
So it comes to pass that in a certain
Sabbath-school there may be seen q
class Of young men, respectful. atten-
tive, absorbed, listening to the low
voiced teachings of slender young
woman, as if they thought her voice
carried weight.
And so they do-the weight of life
which means earnest purpose, and
faith in the work which is given us to
do.
"But she had time to give to her
class" some one says. ...... 80,
Listen! During all these years, she
was hard-working school teacher,
with but slender stock of health and
strength TO draw upon. Yes, she had
time to give to her boys, but where do
you think she found it? Possibly some
of the adornments and enjoyments of
girlhood had to be given up. Did it
pay?